


When Bruce Meets Pepper

by CaraMia



Series: The Billion-Heirs' Club [3]
Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-28
Updated: 2016-01-28
Packaged: 2018-05-16 19:22:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5837884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaraMia/pseuds/CaraMia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes your best friends meet each other and it doesn't go well. Tony should have been better prepared for this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When Bruce Meets Pepper

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes you throw characters together and they slam the door in each other's faces, which makes writing about them kind of difficult?
> 
> Here's my Billionheirs AU first meeting between Pepper and Bruce. I'm just having fun playing with these characters.
> 
> Let me know what you think! /if you have any suggestions? 
> 
> Also, you can find me on Tumblr at [lovebooksallday.tumblr.com](http://lovebooksallday.tumblr.com/) (though over there I'm just a book blog!)

Bruce meets Pepper not long after he returns from his sojourn. If Tony had been present at the time, he would have clucked over their meeting like a nervous chicken - leading to eye rolls, snide comments, and an instant bond forming between them both. Unfortunately, Tony was down in his workshop, taking apart a motorcycle for the third time in the last 48 hours because he couldn't find whatever was making that damn rattling noise and had set JARVIS to silent-unless-emergency mode.

Tony soon learned to program "Bruce and Pepper alone together" as an emergency. 

Pepper was in Tony's clothes. This was the first time she'd had occasion to wear Tony's pajamas and it was not for the reason most women Tony brought home wore his clothes. She had come over the day before to get his signature and get the status of his projects. That had lasted almost an hour before his energy had built up too much to stay still, and they'd relocated to the workshop so he could do something with his hands while they talked. At some point their talking had turned from business to movies to hobbies to Pepper's childhood and she woke up on the couch several hours later when Tony accidentally dropped a wrench on his foot. 

Tony let her borrow some clothes so she could sleep more comfortably. (Also he might have accidentally gotten grease on her immaculate suit and was terrified she would wake up enough to notice and eviscerate him.) 

Bruce didn't know any of this.

When the front door of the house was opened by a gorgeous ginger wearing obviously masculine pajamas, Bruce assumed.

He looked over her shoulder, obviously uninterested in striking up a conversation. If he'd paid more attention, he would've caught the way her eyes narrowed at his action. (In later years, Bruce would have a healthy fear of and respect for Pepper. Right now, he doesn't have a clue.)

"Can I help you, mister...?"

"Wayne. Tony told me to drop by today. So if you don't mind fetching him..." 

"Well, Mr. Wayne, I'm afraid that you're not on Mr. Stark's schedule today. You'll have to make an appointment."

And she closed the door in his face. 

She was in the kitchen, contemplating Tony's seemingly endless array of coffee, when the doorbell rang again.

"JARVIS, is it still 'Mr. Wayne'?" There was no reply from the AI and in the silence, Pepper remembered why the name and face had seemed so familiar. She made herself a cup of the first coffee her hand landed on, grabbed the bagels she'd had toasting and a container of cream cheese, and headed down to Tony's workshop, ignoring the still ringing doorbell. Tony barely acknowledged the plate of bagel she set on the table near him (she'd learned not to put food on the floor next to him. He inevitably put his elbow in it or used the dishes to keep something level). It took a large mug of coffee pushed under his nose for him to look up and focus, first blurrily on her, and then sharply on the coffee. 

"Darling," he whispered longingly, reaching both greasy hands for the mug. Pepper let him have it and waited until it was almost empty before she spoke.

"Mr. Stark?"

That got Tony's attention. He was instantly concerned, examining the last 12 hours of interactions for any potential infractions. When nothing came to mind, he answered cautiously.

"Yes, Miss Potts?"

"There's a Mr. Wayne at the door who says you told him to drop by today. Since he's not on your schedule, I told him to make an appointment. He insists on staying on the porch and ringing the doorbell." 

The coffee mug slipped out of Tony's hand and landed with a startling THUNK on the concrete floor. 

"Bruce is - he - you left him on the porch?"

Pepper's mouth drew itself into a thin line. 

"He was rude." She tried not to sound like she was whining. It was one thing to shut down an asshole in the boardroom or at a bar, but shutting the door in the face of Tony's oldest friend (who had recently returned after being presumed _dead_ ) was a bit much. Then she remembered that he had been a jerk and hardened her resolve. Defending her actions wasn't really necessary, as it turned out. Tony sighed and scratched his head.

"I'm sorry, Miss Potts. I hadn't expected you would still be here and I forgot to warn you that a glowering teenager would be showing up at the door at some point today."

Warmed by the apology, it took Pepper a moment to process the rest of Tony's words.

"Tony, you... you do know he's not a teenager, right? Bruce Wayne is in his late 20s."

"Details! He acts like a sulky teenager, he gets treated like one - and _no_ , that rule does not apply to me."

They grinned at each other for a moment over the dismantled motorcycle. Tony broke the silence first.

"JARVIS, wake up! Show me what's -"

"Excuse me for interrupting, sir, but I'm afraid someone is at the door. They are attempting to pick the lock. Shall I call the police?"

Tony stared at Pepper again, and this time she blushed and looked at the floor.

"He's - he's still on the - ?"

Tony's eyes widened and he turned, tripped over the coffee mug he'd dropped, righted himself, and flung himself out the workshop and up the stairs, yelling as he went.

"Brucieeeee wait don't pick the lock it electrocutes y-"

The yelp could be heard even down in the workshop, followed by a litany of swearing in several languages Pepper had never heard.

*

For a very long time after, Pepper had the sound of Bruce being electrocuted as his ringtone on her phone.

Tony was mortified. Bruce thought it was hilarious. 


End file.
